Russia has extended the arrest warrant for journalist Also Kurmasheva for another two months

A court in the city of Kazan, Russia, has extended the detention order of Also Kormasheva, a veteran reporter of the Tatar-Bashkir section of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, who has been in detention since October 18, for another two months, until April 5. The session of Sovetsky Kazan court was held behind closed doors today (February 1st) and press employees were only allowed to attend when the decision was announced.Representatives from the embassies of Austria, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands were present in the court.Kurmashva’s lawyer argued that the court should change the detention order to house arrest, but his request was rejected. Alsou Kurmasheva is spending his fourth month in a Russian prison.In a statement, Stephen Copps, interim head of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, said that it is clear that Alsou Kurmashova was arrested unjustly, because, according to Copps, he is an American and a journalist who has the courage to do his job, and these two cases are for Moscow. It is unbearable.